HENTGES RACING CLOSES OUT SEASON WITH WORLD CUP WIN, PODIUM, YEAR-END HONORS
Hentges Racing named “Team of the Year” Kamm earns “Rookie of the Year”
LAKE GENEVA, WI (March 18, 2013) – The 2012-2013 ISOC season came to a close this weekend with Hentges Racing finishing out their stat sheet with a streak that gave the factory Polaris team podiums 7 of the 9 series weekends, a RAM World Cup title, and ISOC series honors.
The Grand Geneva Resort & Spa packed in standing-room only fans, friends, and family of the local Wisconsin riders in Lake Geneva, WI. Friday night under the lights delivered holeshot after holeshot for the Hentges Polaris Pirtek sleds, with Kamm and Broberg winning it in each of their perspective heats and Kody taking it in the Final.
After finishing no lower than 3rd in their Round 1 and 2 qualifying heats, Kody and Justin both earned a front-row starting position with a 3rd and 6th position, respectively. Kamm claimed the lead and broke away from the field with the top three in an ensuing intense battle. Broberg also got a good start, moving up to 5th. The 10-lap final ended with Kody taking another podium in 3rd and Justin rounding out the top-5 to make Hentges Racing the highest finishing team.
Saturday’s racing unfortunately did not yield the results to match the performance. Both riders contested a competitive Heat 3 in Round 1 and were squeezed at the peak of the first hill. The #53 and #168 sleds crossed the finish line in the 5-lap qualifier in 4th and 5th.Kody went out in Heat 1 for Round 2, claimed the holeshot and went on to win the heat by more than 5 seconds. Justin went out in the second heat. He got a good start, but was hit hard into Turn 1 by the #24 sled of Paul Bauerly. While #168 didn’t sustain much damage, Broberg’s left knee was not as lucky. The contact was so hard that it bent the 23 year-old’s knee brace, renedering his leg immobile. Justin was forced to pull off the course. Justin powered through the pain with a borrowed brace from his teammate in the LCQ. He ran a conservative heat to move on to the Final.
For the “Showdown at Sunset”, Kamm would start on the front-row from 5th and Broberg started from 13th. Both Polaris riders got solid starts, with Kody moving up to 3rd and Justin gaining a spot to 12th. By Lap 3, the top four riders had broken away from the field and engaged into a heated battle for those top spots. Justin began one of his hardest charges of the season, picking off sleds lap by lap. Both HR riders continued on in the 10-lap main embroiled in their own battles. As the checkers came out, Kamm crossed the line in 4th and Broberg had charged all the way up to 7th.
Kamm leads USA to RAM World Cup victory…
Although the regular season had wrapped, the finale weekend was not yet over as Sunday played host to the inaugural RAM World Cup. The format, pitting the USA against the “World”, consisted of three 5-lap motos. The top scores from each team in each moto were combined. While Kody represented the United States, the team decided to withdraw Justin from the non-points paying event to avoid any further potential damage to his injured knee. The 19 year-old Kamm won 2 out of the 3 motos, allowing Team USA to be the dominant victor on the all-Polaris team.
ISOC season banquet awards top honors for Hentges Racing…
The finale weekend culminated in the ISOC series awards banquet Sunday night at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. Not only did Hentges Racing place both riders in the top-10 in the overall standings with Kody finishing 4th and Justin 9th, but the team garnered additional honors. Kamm earned the prestigious “Rookie of the Year” title for his first-season performance in the Pro Open class. The highlight for the team, however, was being named the “Team of the Year” by the top snowcross racing series. The award, accepted by team owner Nate Hentges to a standing ovation, it truly a reflection of the overall effort put forth every weekend by the Minnesota-based team.
Kody Kamm #53 quote- “I had a great weekend. This is just such an awesome event..the track is so much fun and gnarly, the fans are awesome, I’ve got a lot of fans and family here. It’s pretty fun! I would have liked to close the season out with a win, but we’ve had a lot of podiums this season. Capping of the year off winning the World Cup and then ‘Rookie of the Year’ is pretty awesome too!”
Justin Broberg #169 quote – “I really wanted to get that podium finish this weekend, but if I look at my season overall, I’ve made pretty big gains on my goals. Honestly, I wish we could just keep racing because I feel like this second half of the season is when I really got comfortable on the Polaris and how to get out of it what I need. We were right there consistently getting the top-5’s now and that’s the last step before podiums and wins consistently!”
Nate Hentges, team owner quote – “I’m so proud of each one of my guys on this Hentges Racing team. This was such a transition year for us with two new, young Pro Open riders, so to come away with so many podiums and top-5’s and then being awarded ‘Team of the Year’…I honestly don’t think I can say enough! I think it shows that our fellow competitors think we are a real threat for wins and championships, and with this being the first season with this line-up including a rookie, that’s something we can all be proud of!”
FAST STATS
Friday Heats Final
Kody Kamm 2/2 3
Justin Broberg 2/3 5
Saturday
Kody Kamm 4/1 4
Justin Broberg 5/DNF/3 7
Overall Pos. Pnts.
Kody Kamm 4 494
Justin Broberg 9 419
Television coverage on CBS Sports Network -April 7th , 10:30 a.m. Round 15; April 14th , 10:30 a.m. Round 16, Fargo rebroadcast March 24th ,10:30 a.m. EST & March 31st , 10:30 a.m.. EST
Contact: Tara Ragan, ph: 704.299.3399 :em: tara@theorganiccompound.co
About Hentges Racing
Hentges Racing was formed in 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a true family endeavor, fielding two entries for Hentges brothers Nate and Jonny. In what is a short time in motorsports, Hentges Racing has become the premier factory Polaris Snocross team with a tradition rich in championship-caliber results. Under the direction of team owner Nate Hentges and lauded Crew Chief Tim Bender, the 2012-2013 AMSOIL Snocross Pro Open season ushers in a new chapter of the HR success story with young guns #53 Kody Kamm and #168 Justin Broberg. Hentges Racing is based in Shakopee, MN.
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